Christmas Day on Mars

[jseal]

For those of us who follow space exploration.

Mars Express, carrying the Beagle 2 lander, is the European Space Agency's first planetary mission. It was launched back in June from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Soyuz rocket.

The Beagle 2 has separated from the Mars Express mothership, and is on schedule for a landing in the Isidis basin on Christmas morning. Today (20-DEC-03) the ESA is retargeting the Mars Express for an orbital insertion course.

Here's hoping that it will be a very Merry Christmas in Darmstadt!

[PantyFanatic]

I believe one of the unique factors is that the mothership will do all the communications and analyzing duties, freeing the lander payload for much more complex and dedicated processing. It could make for a very Merry Christmas for the whole planet Earth.

[jseal]

PantyFanatic,

So the orbiter mediates the communications?

[PantyFanatic]

That's my understanding. BBL

[Lilith]

I will be watching to see how this goes as well. Just think, the $$ spent on our efforts in the Persian Gulf in the last couple of decades would have easily funded a manned mission to Mars.

[jseal]

Lilith,

Yeah. Bummer. Wouldn't that have been an exciting journey! Imagine all the discoveries we'd have made during the the process. I like to think it would have been - WILL BE - worth every nickel.

[PantyFanatic]

Communications and spacecraft operations

During each orbit, Mars Express will spend some time turned towards the planet for instrument observations and some time turned towards Earth for communications with ground stations. The special UHF antenna will receive data from the Beagle 2 lander on the surface each time the spacecraft passes overhead.
Data collected by Beagle 2 and the orbiter instruments will be transmitted to an ESA ground station at New Norcia near Perth, Australia at a rate of up to 230 kbps. Between 0.5 and 5 Gbits of scientific data will be downlinked from the spacecraft to Earth every day.

Maybe Sharni will get us the hot scoops from the cross town receiver. (well... cross continent) ;)


http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=1

[Sharni]

http://www.marssociety.org.au/

I dont follow it...nor am i going to add anything else to this thread....so check here...its an Aussie site

[PantyFanatic]

DAMN!:mad: I was so counting on updates from your telephone booth.:(











lmao;)

[Irish]

I think that the Billions of $,that we forgave the French Govt.in the
'20s(?),would also have funded it. Irish
P.S.Is Santa on the space probe?

[jseal]

Irish,

I believe that St. Nick has pressing business elsewhere at that time. The Beagle’s fate rests in good hands.

During the 1930s Britain and other European countries defaulted on their war loans from the US, valued at around $30 billion. Is this what you are referring to?

[Irish]

jseal---I'm not exactly sure!They were talking about it on the Pat
Whitley talk show(WRKO,Boston radio)last week.There are still many,unexplored areas,of the oceans,on earth.I,personaly,
would much rather see them explored first but they say opinions
(like excuses)are like assholes.Everyones got one,and most of them stink. Irish
P.S.That's a quote,from a bumper sticker,that my youngest daughter,sent to me!

[jseal]

Irish,

I’m opening up the kimono a bit here, but I must admit that my preferences point towards outer rather than inner space.

Still, it would be nice to be able to spend the money on voyages of exploration rather than on national defense. There is so much to discover! It would be new and exciting!

In re opinions: that’s why I think one should express them carefully.

[celticangel]

Funny how "the powers that be" can always find finances for certain projects~~~and cannot come up with answers to problems closer to home!~~~~~~ah well~~~looking forward to seeing pictures from space whilst working in the ward on Christmas day!

[Vigil]

Mankind's thirst for exploration has made us and our world what it is today - the good and bad - sorry, but you can't have one without the other.

What the hell did that Columbus guy think he was doing? and as for Amerigo..........and those Siberians wandering over the ice bridge and perhaps even those Europeans making their way across the iceflows of the atlantic during the last ice age?

[PantyFanatic]

You're right Vigil.:)


(and we should forgive that Columbus guy):rolleyes:

[LixyChick]

Looking forward to the findings! I haven't updated myself in the goings on lately......and I can always count on my fellow Pixieites to keep me abreast of the latest news!

*knows that everyone is wondering how I find time to peruse Pixies but has no time to read a paper or watch a news report! TeeHee*

[jseal]

LixyChick,

May I presume that you would say that you spend your time on the important things in life?

[LixyChick]

Originally posted by jseal
LixyChick,

May I presume that you would say that you spend your time on the important things in life?
Um...........well........um.......I pride myself on my priorities according to my time allowance.......

How's that for back peddling?

[PantyFanatic]

Originally posted by LixyChick
.......and I can always count on my fellow Pixieites to keep me abreast of the latest news.....
I think it's only fair dear.:) You keep abreast for me and I'll watch the news for you.;)




(I'll start with the left one please):lust:

[jseal]

Irish,

I still feel that the Beagle remains in good hands, but my confidence took a hit after reading about what lies ahead for it in the immediate future.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3341617.stm

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the engineers did their optimization effectively!

[Irish]

jseal---I know that this has nothing to do with this thread,but did
you know that the BBC has instructed,all of its journalists,to refer
to Saddam as the previous Leader of Iraq,instead of the previous
Dictator of Iraq?(Like the people,of Iraq,had a choice!) Irish

[jseal]

Irish,

I’m sure we all can take solace in that the emphasis is on "previous". Let us hope that the same will not be said of the Beagle 2 a couple of days from now.

[PantyFanatic]

Originally posted by jseal
.....I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the engineers did their optimization effectively!
<--- *lights candles, hangs garlic on wind vane, burns incense, tosses chicken bones, crosses fingers*

It’s difficult to optimize a crap shoot.:( Unfortunately, “luck” WILL be a key component of this experiment.

[jseal]

PantyFanatic,

I was thinking about the myriad number of trade-offs that went into the finished product.

There was a redesign part way through, when the airbags burst when tested. The new airbags and parachutes had to be heavier, and that meant losing some mass from the scientific payload.

A mass distribution for Beagle 2 had to have already been negotiated between the scientists and the engineers; so many kilograms for the scientific instruments, so many for the parachutes and airbags. I believe that about 3 kg had to go – out of about 68 kg. That’s more than 4%. What goes? What stays? There had to have been some optimization rules/guidelines/procedures, and there must have been some difficult decisions. There is probably little leeway when it costs so much to lift each kilo out of earth’s gravity well.

[jseal]

Gentlefolk,

I read that If all goes well, about 4 hours after touchdown, Beagle 2 will send back a call sign composed by the rock band Blur.

The message will be sent via NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter, which should appear overhead in the Martian sky, on Christmas morning.

How about that for internationalizing the efforts? An example of extra-terrestrial Globalization perhaps?

[Lilith]

We may not be able to cooperate on Earth but in the astral heavens all is possible.

[PantyFanatic]

When we venture from this planet, we will be seen as one species from the other end of the telescope.

[jseal]

Gentlefok,

From the BBC:

The British-built spacecraft Beagle 2 is believed to have touched down on the surface of the planet Mars.

"All I ask is that everybody keeps their fingers crossed on Christmas Day for us" Mark Sims, Mission Manager

Yeah Team!

[CunningLinguist]

Yeah, but when the "Greys" planted on Mars by the Annunikai shoot down the mother ship and destroy the landing probe there will be a cover up.

NASA doesn't want you to know that the ancient "gods" are space aliens an we are imprisoned on this planet as a result of the last war between gods and men.

Sorry, just thought you guys needed a conspriacy theory for the day.

[PantyFanatic]

BBC News
Last Updated: Thursday, 25 December, 2003, 12:27 GMT

Scientists have failed to pick up an expected signal from British-built spacecraft Beagle 2 telling them it has landed safely on Mars.

The £35m probe should have landed at 0254 GMT on Christmas Day after a 400 million kilometre, six-month flight. Nasa's Mars Odyssey orbiter has since flown over its landing site but failed to detect the expected call sign. Lead scientist Professor Colin Pillinger insisted that "it's not the end of the world".

The giant Jodrell Bank telescope, in Cheshire, UK, will come on line at about 2200 GMT to listen for signals. Scientists are confident that sweep will pick up a signal from Beagle 2 - if it has made it to the planet surface in one piece and is functioning as expected.

If that option fails, the Nasa spacecraft will have a daily chance to pick up the signal until 3 January, when Europe's Mars Express craft - the mother ship now orbiting the planet - begins its mission. However, if nothing has been received by the end of 26 December, hopes for Beagle 2 will start to fade.

:(

[jseal]

Oh no!

It looks like the "Greys" may have bagged the Beagle! The Beagle was carrying instruments designed to test for Martian life! It all starts to make sense!

What a terrible disappointment. While Hope was the last to leave Pandora's box, things don't look good at all.

[Irish]

jseal---FYI.We spent most of Christmas Day at one of my daughters houses.She had recorded holiday music on.Since then,
I have listened,to practicaly every,networks news.They have all
reported,that NO signal,has been recieved,but are still trying!
Irish

[jseal]

Irish,

Alas, the Great Galactic Ghoul, who has feasted on other Mars exploratory vehicles, seems to have struck again. While the Mars Express will, no doubt, return valuable data, the Beagle’s data will be missed.

Most regrettable.

[PantyFanatic]

Originally posted by jseal
....While the Mars Express will, no doubt, return valuable data, the Beagle’s data will be missed.
...
That’s almost like saying I’ll keep the doe nut, you can have the hole. :(

[jseal]

PantyFanatic,

Almost.